


While She Slept

by Hydeside



Series: Hers [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Empress Rey, Rey Palpatine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 17:29:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12173466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hydeside/pseuds/Hydeside
Summary: I have no intention of leaving Naked Apprentice unfinished.  I just need a break from it, but please rest assured I started on chapter 10.  This is an idea which I couldn't stop thinking about.  I will continue it as a multi chapter fic as soon as Naked Apprentice ends!  Hopefully with this one out, I can  finally focus on  my work.  Haha!  As always let me know what you think.





	While She Slept

**Author's Note:**

> I have no intention of leaving Naked Apprentice unfinished. I just need a break from it, but please rest assured I started on chapter 10. This is an idea which I couldn't stop thinking about. I will continue it as a multi chapter fic as soon as Naked Apprentice ends! Hopefully with this one out, I can finally focus on my work. Haha! As always let me know what you think.

(Hux) 

“Kriff!” The General swore as he watched his pod of choice overtaken by the Incendia favored by the First Knight beside him.

  
“Told you!” Kylo gloated with a grin. “You’ll have to find someone else to be part of that delegation”. 

The General leaned back, putting his hands behind his head. 

“Kriff….” He cried again, his eyes following the movements of the winning pod in the holovision screen.  


It was Friday night, and instead of drinking themselves to oblivion in the Officers’ Club or in one of the more popular pubs in the base like they usually did, the General and the First Knight agreed to watch the Galaxy Pod Race Championship in the Knight’s personal quarters. 

“I want a rematch!” The General loudly demanded. 

“Nope! Gentleman’s bargain”, Kylo quipped before taking a swig of his beer.

“It’s just a week Ren! What could possibly keep you from leaving the planet and representing the First Order in the Mid Rim?”

Before the Knight could reply, the sound of rustling suddenly came through the doorway.

The General looked towards the threshold across the room, and silently gasped. 

Shit! He thought. Is that the Empress?  


“Shh…”, Kylo mouthed. 

The General couldn’t believe his eyes. 

“She sleepwalks”. Kylo muttered by way of explanation. 

What was the Empress of the galaxy doing in the First Knight’s quarters? He wondered, and on a Friday night at that!

The General watched incredulously, as the Empress, clad only in a thin worn shirt, which was obviously Ren’s, made her way to the First Knight without ever opening her eyes. 

“No…No”, she seemed to whimper in her sleep. 

At the sound of her voice, the First Knight immediately put down his beer and gently sat her on his lap. 

“Kylo…”, she softly mewled through half lidded eyes. 

He murmured something in her ear, which caused her to whisper in return 

The General didn’t hear what was said between them, but whatever it was, appeared significant enough for the First Knight to completely ignore the game in front of them and tenderly cradle the woman in his arms until she fell back to sleep.

The General and the Knight continued to stare at the Holovision in silence, as if desperate to keep the fragile peace that hovered about the room. 

When the game ended and the Empress was back in bed, the General finally ventured to ask the question which had been bothering him the whole night. 

“So did the Empress move in here?” 

“Not exactly”, the First Knight shrugged. 

The General raised his brows. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Some nights she’s here. Other nights I’m in the Palace. Or we spend a few days in my Mother’s flat in Coruscant”. 

The General was taken aback. He knew that it was an arranged marriage. One ordered by Snoke, who was the then Princess’s guardian and the First Knight’s Master. The Princess Reyanne’s dislike for the First Knight was well known, and she had made it quite clear even before the wedding, that she had no intention of becoming his wife in the truest sense of the word. So why was she here now? 

“So are you two together?” The General asked confused. 

The First Knight sighed, and stared blankly at the screen. 

"For now", he replied. "Until the galaxy is settled. Then we go our own separate ways I suppose”. 

But the Galaxy was settled! Hux wanted to exclaim. He, Ren and the Princess had joined forces to kill Snoke a week after the Imperial wedding. It was understood that once Snoke was dead and the galaxy divided between them, the Princess and the First Knight would end the sham that was their marriage. 

Surprisingly however, Ren who came from a wealthy and powerful family in his own right, had little interest in ruling and merely asked for the one position in the Empire, which he truly wanted. 

Consequently, their victory a year ago saw the Princess crowned, the General given full command of the armed forces and Ren retaining control of the Knights and being named permanent galactic chancellor of Education, much to everyone’s shock. 

That said, with power and territories finally divided, there was no reason for the Empress to be found lurking in Ren’s quarters. Maker knows she had been unkind enough to him over the years!

“When will that be?” Hux pressed. 

“I don’t know Hux!” Kylo tiredly groaned. “Let it be!” 

The General finished his beer and held his tongue. Clearly, his closest friend and brother in arms was as confused by the situation as he was. 

Yet, the Empress being seen in the First Knight’s quarters shouldn’t have stunned him as much as it had considering that he had long been privy to the changes in the Imperial Couple’s relationship.  


The Empress may have made her contempt for the First Knight apparrent, but no one could deny the way they would stand apart from others in a room and whisper maker knows what to each other.  


More than once, he noticed the First Knight smirking because of something amusing she had said to him, and even caught the Empress smiling shyly as the Knight pointed out matters that he thought might interest her.  


They were never openly affectionate, but the General noted that the First Knight seldom left the Empress’s side during the few social functions he deigned to attend, nor did the Empress allow anyone else to escort or guard her throughout her public forays. 

On his way home that evening the General couldn’t help but ponder over the events that transpired. Maybe there was more to their marriage than they let on? 

(Rey)

He’s touching me again. His decrepit cold fingers lining my arm. I couldn’t bear it! His touch may be cold as ice but it burns and marks my skin, making me feel that I will never be clean again. Oh why did my parents have to die and leave me with this monster? He punishes me! Oh how it hurts whenever he delves into my mind. He brings out terrible memories. Of my grandfather’s death, of his followers murdering my parents in their sleep. Of a boy torn from his parents’ arms, brought to the palace so he could be trained to serve him!  


He uses force lightning sometimes, whenever I’m naughty and won’t submit to him. Nobody believes me because he leaves no marks. He promised to give me back my rightful throne as Empress of the Empire upon his death but he has no plans of dying. He will never die! I won’t be free until he does…he won’t be free. Oh where is he? It’s cold. I’ve always dreamt of going to him when I was finally free. He’s a good kind man, despite his Master’s influence. I’ve seen him hurt several times before. I will hurt that monster like he hurt him, like he hurt me! I will kill that bastard Snoke! 

“Where are you Kylo?” 

He’s here I can sense him, I can hear him. We’re together. We’re safe.

(Kylo) 

The First Knight gently lifted the sleeping Empress and put her on his lap. 

She’s sleepwalking again, he thought grimly. Even in death, Snoke won’t leave them in peace. 

Fucking Munn. It was bad enough he ruined his life, he had to mess up Rey’s too. He was a teenager, old enough to defend himself. Rey was only a little girl when she was left alone to deal with Snoke’s guardianship.

Though his training and punishments were intensely severe under his tutelage, he suspected that Rey had it far worse. 

While he believed that the Munn wouldn’t dare physically harm the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine, she was still regularly subjected to Snoke’s mind games and mental torture. He had a mother and father to talk to. To see whenever Snoke permitted it. Who tried to look out for his interests and protect him even from afar. She had no one. 

He felt her shudder and a blinding pain went through his gut. 

Where are you? Her mind called out to him. 

“It’s alright sweetheart, I’m here. Snoke is gone, he’s dead now”. He whispered. 

Rey slightly opened her eyes and gave him a look which made his heart melt. 

“It’s cold. His touch burns…” She whispered back. 

The First Knight immediately rubbed his hands around her body without ever letting go. As soon as she relaxed and her breathing returned to normal, he carried her back to their room, deliberately avoiding the General’s bewildered gaze. 

Carefully placing her under the covers, he pressed a kiss on her forehead, promising to be with her when the nightmares come again.

 

 

 


End file.
